Kroger Partners With Nascar In Its Largest Retail Promo

Shoppers this week at Kroger's 2,500 stores in 37 states will see a lot of Nascar branding. It won't be only on banners and signs or Kroger's in-store TV but on a plethora of packages from dozens of different brands.

Kroger and some 50 brands it carries are part of the largest retail promotion of Nascar ever. The seven-month retail effort is focused on celebrating the 50th anniversary of Nascar's central event, the Daytona 500.

General Mills, ConAgra, Kellogg and PepsiCo are among the companies participating in the promotion, which will include a raft of products branded with a Daytona 500 50th anniversary race logo starting this week.

Product categories participating include soft drinks, snacks, condiments, accessories and cereal, among others. Kroger is supporting with newspaper circulars and POP displays. The company says that, as the race approaches, Kroger will run ads for the event on in-store TV and radio. Kroger will also roll out Nascar displays and host appearances by drivers.

Per International Speedway Corp (ISC), women make up 40% of Nascar fans and that number is increasing. The corporation, which owns the Daytona International Speedway, says about 200,000 fans attended the 2007 Daytona 500 and predicts next year's race will break previous attendance and television viewer ratings.

An ISC spokesperson said consumer packaged goods partners involved will be running Nascar-themed efforts, as well. "They are all putting together collateral for activation of their participation," he says, adding that several brands, including Kraft and several ConAgra brands, have had a presence at the Daytona track in the past.

He added that ISC is also doing a road show program with Chevrolet, called "Fifty States in Fifty Days" which involves Chevrolet touring race-car replicas and experiential marketing programs about its history with Nascar.

According to the ISC, the Daytona 500 generated 30 million viewers last year, it was sold out attendance-wise, and a 30-second spot during broadcasts cost $500,000. Corporate sponsors of the 50th anniversary race run the gamut from Holiday Inn to Gator Ade.